As is well known in the art, ultrasonic welding is often used to join various parts together to affect a strong and reliable joint therebetween. Ultrasonic welding generally employs mechanical vibrations at ultrasonic frequencies and pressure to affect an intimate contact between faying surfaces to produce a weld joint. The ultrasonic welding apparatus generally includes a transducer that converts electrical frequencies to ultra-high-frequency mechanical vibrations. By applying the tip of a vibrating tool, anvil, or horn to a small area on the external surface of two lapped parts, the vibrations and pressure are transmitted to the faying surfaces to produce the weld joint.
However, when employing ultrasonic welding technology to join parts having complex external contours or profiles, the welding process may produce undesirable markings and/or damage to the parts being joined. For example, it has been found that in cases where the external contour of at least one part to be joined is substantially non-coplanar to the weld plane, significant side loading forces are imparted on the parts to be joined. These significant side-loading forces cause the aforementioned undesirable markings and/or damage to the parts being joined.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the relevant art to provide a fixture for ultrasonic welding that is capable of accommodating these side-loading forces without causing damage to the parts to be welded. Furthermore, there exists a need in the relevant art to provide a fixture for ultrasonic welding that is capable of accommodating inclined weld planes. Still further, there exists a need in the relevant art to provide a fixture for ultrasonic welding that is capable of overcoming the disadvantages of the prior art.